Catching Up: Book Thoughts

With my new job. I haven't been able to keep up with my reading, and blogging schedule.  

By the time I get home at 9 PM, I am bushed. I just want to relax, kick my shoes off. Most days, I read and finish my books, not on my day off. 

So for the past month, I haven't been able to review the books I have read. Today I am off and have wanted to catch up on my book blog. Instead of book reviews. I am going to give you a recap of the books I have read, my take, and my thoughts. Hopefully, I will get back in the groove soon. BTW, my reading challenge was 30 books for the year. I am hoping it gets there by the end of the month. I think I am up to 23. I was hoping to read Obama's book after the one I am reading. Well, if I read that there is no way possible I will get to my book challenge of 30.  With 700 pages. 

I read The Exiles last month. I don't know how a month slipped away that fast. Anyhoo! I loved reading The Exiles, my favorite, historical fiction. Besides,  a country I didn't know much about, Australia

 I knew about the indigenous people in Australia. I also knew British prisoners were sent to 

Australia. I didn't know these women were used to appropriate to form a new colony. I just loved reading, and learning about Australia. Also what I thought was interesting. What is happening right now in the USA, also happened in Australia. I can't tell you much since it was a month ago. So you will just have to read, The Exiles. Just to know I loved reading it. 

Promises to Keep by Joe Biden. I read the book just before the election. I bought the book months ago. But never got to it till last month. I think I finished it right before the election. I recommend the book to anyone who wants to know, Joe. From the book, he seems to be very down to earth person. How he appears as a candidate for president. Is how he sounds in the book. One thing I was wary about. Which now I am glad I read the book. He has been in government since he was 29 years old. He made many friendships on both sides of the aisle. The one thing I didn't realize. He was on the foreign affairs committee, and judicial committee.

 He was on the foreign affairs committee with John McCain with who he had been friends for years. Interesting note! This explains his openness to  John McCain's daughter on The View when her father was dying. He was so open, understanding, and empathetic to her on the show. Besides, all the friendships he has made on both sides of the aisle.  He is very knowledgeable when it comes to Yugoslavia, The Balkans, and Turkey with the conflict in the '90s. All this experience has helped him in the past and hopefully will help him in the new administration when it comes to our allies. Wow, I am impressed. It has been said that Democrats are more interested in domestic affairs. Where Republicans are more interested in Europe, and around the world. I don't think so. Mr. Biden is very aware of the world, and its leaders.

I read Oona Out of Order because I wanted something fun to read. It was an OK read. It was a type of book I was interested in at the time. Glad I read it, it was fun at times funny, and something different. Oona goes from her time as a young adult then fast forwards to herself in mid-life(50's). Then goes back again. So, she pretty much knows what will happen to her at different stages of her life.  Hence the title of the book. Wouldn't you rather be surprised and not know. Instead, she returns back and forth without a surprise. Already knowing her life. I am not sure I would want to know. Would you? 

I enjoyed reading Hamnet. It is the story of Agnes and Shakespeare. What was interesting Shakespeare is never named in the book. In the book, we find out who Hamnet is and why it was written. What happened to Hamnet. The book is timely with the pandemic raging across the US, and the world. The book makes you think. What you think and do if your child was sick with the plague.  What it feels like when your child dies. Then after the fact, your husband used the scenario to dramatize it. Your child is used in the play Hamlet. How would you feel if your husband used your experiences of death, illness to write a play? Do you think badly of him or not? 

I bought the book because Good Morning America recommended it for their book club. I should have listened to my gut when I first heard of the novel. But, I liked the premise of the book. Benson and Mike are living in Texas. Mike and Benson are a couple. Mike is a chef, and Benson works in a daycare. Mike's parents are divorced and living in  Japan. 

 Mike's mother is coming to the US for a visit. At the same time, Mike learns his father is dying. Mike wants to see his father before he dies. But, his mother is coming to America. . But the hitch is Mike's mother is already coming to the US already by the time Mike learns about it. Mike leaves to go to Japan to be with his dying father. So who is stuck holding the bag?! Benson is to mommy sit for Mike while he is away. Someone he doesn't know and never spoke to. What a dilemma. I thought it was a cute idea. The first half of the book was pretty good. Then the middle was kind of lagging. I really wanted to like the book. I also am a prude at times. There are some explicit sexual acts and some raunchy stuff. So don't take my word for it. You may like it. But, by the end, it was picking up, and loved it. 

I am reading the novel, The World That We Knew for our book club. I absolutely loved it. 

If you like historical fiction, mixed in with Jewish mysticism, I would recommend it. It has my favorite character added in, a Golem. If any of you have read books, for example, Snow in August, The Golem and the Jinni. You will like this one too.

 It's a heartwrenching story with poetic beauty. Which makes the horrible bearable. It is a story about the mother, Hanni, and her daughter, Leah.

 Hanni feels she has no choice. She wants to get her daughter out of danger and get her into France. But how?? She knocks on the door of the Rabbi. Her idea is to talk to the Rabbi's wife. But not so fast.

 The Rabbi's wife wants no part of it. Instead, Ettie wants to escape too. A bargain is made. If she makes the Golem. Then her sister and she can escape. Ettie makes the nonhuman clay into the Golem. The Golem also has very unusual strength and superhuman powers. The Golem is made from Hanni's tears, and menstrual blood to become a woman and to have human characteristics. She named Ava.

Ava becomes Leah's protector and escapes the danger.  Instead, the Rabbi's wife doesn't want to get involved. Instead, Ettie, the Rabbi's daughter is recruited to make the Golem for Hanni.  

Hanni would do anything as a mother to protect her daughter and keep her safe.The only way she would feel that her daughter was safe. Was for the Rabbi's daughter to make the Golem from clay. 

Would you do anything to protect your daughter? The love of the mother was so intense. She wanted to make sure her daughter would be safe. After Hanni told her daughter she must leave with Ava(the Golem). She put a note in a locket. Not to be opened until she was safe. The locket, Hanni gave her. She was told once the war was over, and she was safe. She was to destroy the Golem by erasing the word, EMET.

 Leah escaped the Nazi Regime. The story was not so much about the time period and the terrible atrocities. But the people Leah met along the way. How they survived. What they did to survive. 

The best part of the book was the connection between the Golem and the bird, the Heron, and Leah.  It was thought the Golem had no feelings and had no human connection. Did she? or didn't she? You will have to find out as you read the book to the very end. What makes a mother? What makes a mother want to do anything to protect her daughter? What makes a person human? That is the essence of the novel. Even in horrible times, something beautiful can be realized.

The story is not so much about the terrible time during the holocaust. But the survival, strength all these people were able to survive, and some not able to survive.